LARGE FACTORIES. 



My chapter on cigars would be incomplete did I fail to note 

 the beautiful and courteous way in which all Cubans no 

 matter of what position, whether the exquisite at the club, 

 or the portero at the door, ask you for a light. ' Do me the 

 favor Senor ? ' and you present your cigar, the lighted end 

 towards the speaker. He takes the cigar delicately between 

 his thumb |and fore-finger, lights his own, and then, with a 

 quick, graceful motion, turns yours in his fingers, presenting 

 you, with another wave, the mouth end, makes you a hand 

 salute, utters his grades, and leaves you studying out the 

 'motions' and thinking what a charming thing is national 

 politeness." 



In the selection of leaves for the manufacture of cigars in 

 the factories only the large fine ones are used for Regalias^ 

 Imperiales, or Medios Regalias ; and also for Cazadores, 

 Panetelos, Imperiales, Caballeros, and so on; the smaller 

 fine leaves for Panetelos and Londres / the dark inferior 

 leaves for Canones. The commonest tobacco goes to form 

 the Milores Communes ; the worst is converted into cigars 

 which are generally pressed flat, and known as Prinsados. 

 For the smallest kind of Londres and for Damos, a propor- 

 tionally small leaf is employed. 



In Cuba and Luzon, one of the Philippine Islands, is 

 found one of the largest factories for cigars in the world. In 

 Manilla there are three factories where 7,000 families and 

 1,200 males are employed : one in Cavite, in which 5,000 

 operatives, mostly females, are engaged ; and one in Malabar, 

 which gives employment to about 2,000 more, also females. 

 The tobacco is worked into both cigars and cheroots both of 

 which have a variety of shapes. In both Manilla and Havana 

 the custom of smoking is universal and one rarely meets 

 with any of the male sex without a cigar between his lips. 



A writer speaking of -the universality of the custom says : 



" In Havana, the custom of smoking is a universal one. 

 There, young and old indulge freely in the use of the weed, 

 dividing their attention pretty equally between the cigar 

 and the cigarette. Even the ladies of the better class in 

 many instances indulge ; though not to so great an extent as 

 is commonly reported." 



" Smoking in Cuba" says an American writer, " is like the 

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